Looks like were not the only fanbase living in pain now. The RSL owner just announced to a radio talk show that the team is done and he'll be selling off the team. They'll be gone by the end of the season. Apparently the only thing left is for the mayor to officially announce their stadium deal dead and it's over up in Salt Lake City. What a pisser of a way to start a week. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=843132
Bad new for RSL fans. I'm sure some of this is posturing for a last minute reprieve but it's starting them down the slippery slope. I'm surprised that Checketts has said he would sell the team - (who'd want to buy it with no stadium?) as opposed to moving it. He did say recently in Smith's Sports Business Journal that he does not think St. Louis has room for another professional team. That was in reference to NBA.
I think the selling part was signaling they'd move as there is not other option. With no stadium in Sandy RSL will have no where to play in the SLC area after this season when they're kicked out of Rice Stadium. So the team moving would have to come hand in hand with a sale.
I'm sorry to hear this. I really thought this team would do well in salt lake, since there are no other pro sports playing at the same time. The stadium plans looked beautiful too.
Yes they do. Looks like we may have two new teams playing in 2008 if the new Quakes are ready in time for opening day. Real _Insert name__ and the SJ Quakes.
I can't blame a city for not wanting to spend money on a stadium, especially a soccer stadium. don't get me wrong, it blows for RSL fans who have been great ... but I'm just saying I can understand the govt's point of view (even if I disagree with it). now ... not to be inappropiate ... but what happens to RSL? would Wolff be interested in a team that has Freddy?
So far there can be only two ways to think about this, Checketts would sell it to another local owner and if their isn't any buyers, then it could possibly that he may relocate them to St. Louis (since he owns the Blues there). The sad part is the league is probably going to support Checketts on this one. In my opinion, RSL is not the same as the Quakes. The league retained the Earthquakes name and history for Lew Wolff to bring a new team back to one of MLS' biggest markets in the country. But it's so sad to see another team leave the city they started. Even though the franchise is entering its third season, there is already history starting in that city. It just takes time for a team to be successful, the Quakes are still working to become financially a success but they are a success on and off the field. I hope if Checketts is serious about selling his team, the I hope he sells it to a local that knows this city real well and can solve this political problem.
A lot can happen between now and the end of the season. This is going to be Quakes 2005 all over again. I'm sure there will be an organized fan effort, the search for local investors, the league may get involved somehow in a pro-active way (I don't think they'll stand out of the way like they did for AEG here), maybe more stadium proposals, maybe temporary solutions floated about to delay a potential move, etc. I hope the end result of all this is better than it was for us at the end of 2005. But after going through it with the Quakes, I'm burned out on the last minute save the team thing. (Though I'm not burned out on the "get your team back because there might be a stadium deal" thing.)
Terrible news to start the day. A few years ago before a Quakes game, we tail-gated with a family from Salt Lake. Their son and daughter loved soccer and the San Jose Earthquakes, so their summer vacation involved traveling here for a game. When Salt Lake anounced they would be getting a team, I thought about that family and how stoked they must have enbe. Now I am thinking how about how devestated they must be. This really bites.
I cruised the RSL boards for background on this stadium deal, and a few things became apparent to me: 1: Checketts bent over backward to protect the county in this deal, to the point of promising to pay $10 million if the stadium was built but the team moved or league folded. 2: The county was in no danger anyways. The land was bought for $18 million, but appreciating at $1 million a year unimproved, which doesn't even consider if there was a stadium on it. 3: the county's Debt Review Committee used absurdly pessimistic assumptions when deciding against the deal. 4: there is a personal feud between Dave Checketts and Larry Miller, who owns many car dealerships and the Utah Jazz. It is thought that Miller used the advertising he runs in the local media as leverage to poison their editorial views against the stadium. With regard to RSL, that's irrelevant to our situation. Wolff has an exclusive option for an expansion franchise for either the Bay Area or all of Northern California, so if he gets a stadium he is guaranteed to get a team. And nobody else will bother trying to get a stadium here because of that option, and the league is not about to grant the team to someone without a stadium plan. Besides, the league will be lopsided if we join up and RSL folds. My guess is that RSL becomes RSL . . . Real St Louis.
Well regardless the RSL owner plans to sell the team by Friday. http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_5111341
Well the article says that he said he'd "have a buyer by Friday", which, on the face of it, is a ridiculous statement, though not as ridiculous as saying that you'll sell the team by Friday. It's possible he's been in contact with people who are interested in buying the team, and by Friday they may reach agreement on broad terms. But you don't usually decide to sell the team on Monday and have it sold on Friday. I think the comment was made for effect and probably a bit out of anger and frustration as well.
They seem to think he was serious on the RSL boards. Apparently he's had standing offers for the team from both local and outside sources.
What impact do people think this'll have on our expansion situation. I've heard St. Louis and Rochester bandied about as possible new homes.
I knew this would happen. There was no way the mayor would go against recommendations provided to him. No politician takes risks with their career like that. Even though Salt Lake City is not a big market, this is a very bad blemish on the league and the sport. Expect to see Mark Purdy and Jim Rome sharpening their knives now.
I think it all depends on what exactly is spelled out in the option that Wolff purchased. On the surface it appears that Lew can start a team as soon as he seals a stadium deal. However, and it would make sense, that a deal would need to be signed XX amount of time before the start of a season. For instance, to field a team for the 2008 season he would need a deal signed by 10-1-2007.
MLS did not really want to get into the SLC market in the first place, if my memory is correct. They seemingly went against their own best judgement, opting for someone who flashed money in front of their faces. Live and learn. This is not to knock the Salt Lake City people, but going into that market was a gamble. Had a stadium deal worked out, it would have looked like a brilliant decision.
Could the person or group who buy the team from Checketts start their own lease deal with Rice Eccles Stadium?
On one of the one million threads about RSL today, someone closer to the situation said that there is a Utah law that means RSL has to be out of Rice-Eccles after this season. Tony
No. They legally have to leave Rice stadium by year's end. Doesn't matter they owner. It's a matter of the university laws and tax exempt status being forefit if they don't leave.